Chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko Matvienko
Valentina Ivanovnarepresentative from the executive body of state power of the city of St. Petersburg
held parliamentary hearings “On the development of the Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation”, prepared and organized by the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy.
The event, dedicated to discussing the results of the development of one of the most important strategic planning documents, was attended by the Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Maxim Oreshkin, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Evgeniy Bushmin Bushmin
Evgeniy Viktorovichrepresentative from the executive body of state power of the Rostov region
, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy, etc.
Approved at a meeting of the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy on July 12, 2018 (Minutes No. 154)
Participants in the parliamentary hearings, chaired by Chairman of the Federation Council V.I. Matvienko: members of the Federation Council, Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation M.S. Oreshkin, Head of the Republic of Buryatia A.S. Tsydenov, Governor of the Stavropol Territory V.V. Vladimirov, representatives of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, federal executive authorities of the Russian Federation, legislative and executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, vice-president of the International Academy of Architecture, head of the Center for Spatial Planning of the Moscow Architectural Institute A.V. Bokov, representatives of the scientific, expert communities and public organizations, having reviewed and discussed the presented approaches to the development of the Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation, note the following.
The Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as the Strategy) is a strategic planning document that defines the priorities, goals and objectives of the regional development of the Russian Federation and is aimed at maintaining the sustainability of the settlement system on the territory of the Russian Federation - is being developed in accordance with Federal Law of June 28, 2014 No. 172 -FZ “On Strategic Planning in the Russian Federation” and Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of January 16, 2017 No. 13 “On approval of the Fundamentals of State Policy for Regional Development of the Russian Federation for the period until 2025.”
The strategy is based on the goals and objectives set by the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin in his Address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on March 1, 2018, taking into account the priorities of spatial development set out in the Concept of the Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation until 2025, approved by the decision of the Government of the Russian Federation dated May 22, 2017, and in the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated 7 May 2018 No. 204 “On national goals and strategic objectives of the development of the Russian Federation for the period until 2024.”
Participants in parliamentary hearings note that currently the main trends in the spatial development of the Russian Federation are:
Strengthening the role of the largest cities in the country's economy;
Concentration of economic activity in a limited number of centers of economic growth;
Increasing transport and environmental problems, social imbalances in the largest cities and adjacent territories, reduction in the population of small and medium-sized cities;
Historically formed economic specialization in a number of constituent entities of the Russian Federation, which impedes the development of production sectors of the economy that are in demand on the market;
Low migration mobility of the population within the country, slowing down structural changes in labor markets in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation;
Low transport accessibility of the territories of the Russian Federation;
Insufficient use of the transit potential of the Russian Federation in the West-East and North-South directions.
Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of December 31, 2015 No. 683 “On the National Security Strategy of the Russian Federation” includes, among other things, uneven development of regions and a decrease in the stability of the national settlement system as the main strategic threats to national security in the economic field. To ensure economic security, the main efforts must be aimed at eliminating imbalances in territorial planning, development of the labor market, transport, information, social and educational infrastructures, at the formation of a new geography of economic growth, modern sectors of the economy, centers of industry, science and education.
By Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated May 7, 2018 No. 204 “On national goals and strategic objectives of the development of the Russian Federation for the period until 2024,” the Government of the Russian Federation, based on the spatial development strategy of the Russian Federation, was instructed to develop, with the participation of government authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and up to 1 October 2018 to approve a comprehensive plan for the modernization and expansion of the main infrastructure, providing for implementation by 2024:
Development of transport corridors “West - East” and “North - South”, as well as the international transport route “Europe-Western China”;
Increasing the economic connectivity of the territories of the Russian Federation through the expansion and modernization of railway, aviation, road, sea and river infrastructure;
Stable provision of affordable electricity to consumers throughout the Russian Federation.
Thus, the Strategy should become the basis that fundamentally binds various industry strategies and state programs for the socio-economic development of the Russian Federation.
Maintaining the sustainability of the settlement system on the territory of the Russian Federation is based on economic priorities that make it possible to create and update the country's infrastructure in conjunction with solving social problems. An integrated approach to solving issues of location of productive forces involves the creation of economic conditions for the preservation of cultural and spiritual values, conservation of cultural heritage sites - monuments of architecture and urban planning art, improvement of the quality of the environment and environmental aspects of life, preservation of natural and cultural landscapes.
The competitive advantages of each subject of the Russian Federation should be determined comprehensively, taking into account the factors of its development, assessment of socio-demographic, natural resource, production and economic, transport and infrastructure, geographical, spatial and settlement, institutional and managerial, scientific and innovative and financial and investment potentials.
The materials on the Strategy presented by the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia contain the main directions of spatial development for the medium term, based on a large volume of scientific research, with a clear emphasis on the priority of removing infrastructure restrictions. The issues of location of productive forces and settlement system on the territory of the country, building real economic ties between economic entities for cooperative participation in production have not been sufficiently worked out. It is proposed to implement the competitive advantages of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, municipalities and individual territories mainly through the development of effective economic specializations. The scenario options for spatial development do not comprehensively define the mechanism for reducing interregional differentiation in the socio-economic development of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, given the objectively established trend of preferential development of large cities and other centers of economic growth. A number of provisions contained in the draft Strategy are declarative in nature, since they do not contain proposals on mechanisms for implementing priority areas of spatial development of the Russian Federation.
In connection with the above, participants in parliamentary hearings recommend:
1. To the Government of the Russian Federation:
1) ensure, in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, the timely approval of the Strategy aimed at the integrated development of various types of territories of the Russian Federation, maintaining the sustainability of the settlement system on the territory of the Russian Federation and removing infrastructural restrictions in the socio-economic development of regional economies, developing an action plan for its implementation and monitoring;
2) when developing the Strategy - in fulfillment of the tasks set in the Address of the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on March 1, 2018 and Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated May 7, 2018 No. 204 “On national goals and strategic objectives of the development of the Russian Federation for the period until 2024” - proceed from:
Definition of strategic planning horizons for the period until 2035 and strategic vision until 2050;
The relevance of the development of regulatory legal acts of territorial planning, taking into account the challenges and threats to the national security of the Russian Federation;
The need to determine the nature and take measures that create objective prerequisites for the balanced development of agglomeration and other forms of settlement on the territory of the country;
Creating prerequisites for the placement of production, financial and other resources, both in agglomeration centers of economic growth and in other types of territories, including ensuring sustainable development of rural areas, reducing gaps in the socio-economic development of various constituent entities of the Russian Federation;
A request for the widespread use of the advantages of the digital economy, first of all, the elimination of the “digital inequality” of regions through the creation of an information and telecommunications infrastructure accessible to all territories of the Russian Federation, the introduction of satellite communication technologies, increasing the affordability of Internet services for the population of hard-to-reach and remote areas, development networks of centers for storing and processing digital data arrays;
Compliance with the principles of balanced development of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, implementation of budgetary and financial policies that exclude situations of the emergence of excess debt loads on regional and municipal budgets of the Russian Federation;
The need to ensure interconnection of the Strategy with budget planning;
Implementation of the tasks of improving the “supporting frame” of the country (the system of settlements and communications of federal and regional significance connecting them) - taking into account the characteristics of various natural and climatic conditions, the presence of specially protected natural areas, the established nature of the industrial and economic development of spaces, population density, development of transport systems and communications;
The need to develop mechanisms for interrelating sectoral strategic planning documents, territorial planning schemes, federal target and state programs of the Russian Federation;
The needs to expand and strengthen interregional ties in various fields for the development of cooperation between the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and the implementation of interregional cooperation projects;
The relevance of the development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation and the territories of the Far North, the growth driver of which is the development of the Northern Sea Route, which includes regulatory support for activities, a set of measures for gasification, development of port and coastal infrastructure for year-round operation, the creation of a single operator of the Northern Sea Route , relief of environmental risks;
The need to comprehensively take into account the specifics of the development of geostrategic territories of the Russian Federation in interaction with the adjacent territories;
The expediency of classifying closed administrative-territorial formations (ZATO) as geostrategic territories of the Russian Federation;
3) when forming a comprehensive plan for the modernization and expansion of the main infrastructure, take into account:
The relevance of using the potential, prospects for modernization, a fundamental increase in the throughput and carrying capacity of the Baikal-Amur and Trans-Siberian railways for the purposes of the strategic development of the Russian Federation;
The need to adopt regulatory legal acts that ensure the adjustment of regional development strategies and programs for the formation of the transport infrastructure of the international transport corridor “North-South” and the creation of a single operator of the designated international transport corridor;
Achieving the development goals defined by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation dated May 7, 2018 No. 204 “On national goals and strategic objectives of the development of the Russian Federation for the period until 2024” and corresponding to improving the structure of foreign trade turnover, as well as expanding cross-border cooperation and eliminating logistics restrictions ( increasing the number of checkpoints across the state border of the Russian Federation);
The need and significance of the further inclusion of the Russian Federation in the single Eurasian economic space;
4) take into account when developing and adjusting strategic planning documents:
The importance of increasing the mobility of labor resources, opportunities for professional development and continuous education of the economically active population, retraining and advanced training of workers in various industries, improving systems of pre-university, vocational and higher education;
Providing guaranteed standards of quality of life for citizens of the Russian Federation, including state, municipal and medical services, decent working conditions and social protection, regardless of the place of residence of citizens of the Russian Federation;
5) consider the issue of creating an interdepartmental body empowered to coordinate the processes of development and implementation of a system of strategic planning documents.
The SME Development Strategy until 2030, along with the general strategic directions of work, sets very specific guidelines and sets specific goals to be achieved. This was stated by the Director of the Department for the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises and Competition of the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia Maxim Parshin at the plenary session “Great demand for small businesses”. The event took place within the framework of the Russian Forum of Small and Medium Enterprises.
According to him, the Strategy is a synthesis of all proposals and ideas on measures for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, a kind of embodiment of the request from the business community for changes in the field of regulation and support of entrepreneurial activity.
He recalled that the roadmap for the implementation of the Strategy consists of 45 key positions. “We proceeded from the fact that the plan did not reflect current activities, activities implemented within the framework of previously given instructions or other program and strategic documents,” he noted. “The proposed measures are important at the moment in order to shift the situation and change the vector of development.”
It can be stated that a new state policy agenda has been formed in the field of supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, which is based on a long-term positive program of action - the Strategy.
Maxim Parshin noted that, together with the business community, the Strategy includes four target guidelines, the achievement of which will allow us to talk about reaching a new qualitative level of development of small and medium-sized businesses. In particular, this is a 2.5-fold increase in the turnover of small and medium-sized companies compared to 2014, a 2-fold increase in the turnover per employee in the sector compared to 2014, the share of the manufacturing industry in the turnover of SMEs from 11.8 to 20%, The share of employed people in the total employed population is up to 35%.
According to the Director of the Department, in order to achieve target indicators, it is planned to identify key groups of enterprises within the framework of the Strategy, to which it is planned to target the proposed solutions.
We are talking about two groups or sectors. The mass sector is enterprises specializing in trade and services. Such companies provide employment and increase the level of environmental comfort for citizens. And “high-tech” - small and medium-sized export-oriented enterprises in the areas of manufacturing and services, fast-growing, aimed at diversifying the economy and increasing its competitiveness.
The main thing in the concept of the Ministry of Economic Development is to increase the connectivity of territories in the main settlement zone and create support centers where density is low.
Elena Chuguevskaya,
Director of the Department of Strategic and Territorial Planning of the Ministry of Economic Development
Increasing the connectivity of the vast territory of Russia and the creation of support centers in the zone of focal settlement will become key directions of the strategy for spatial development of Russia until 2035. It will serve as a “territorial integrator” of two strategies - national security and long-term socio-economic development.
Elena Chuguevskaya, director of the Department of Strategic and Territorial Planning of the Ministry of Economic Development, told Free Economy about the main approaches to the strategy and what it can change.
“Free Economy”: Elena Stanislavovna, why is this strategy needed?
ELENA CHUGUEVSKAYA: We are only at the beginning of the path to modern strategic planning of the country's spatial development.
At the level of a region, city, municipal district, comprehensive territorial planning documents are being developed, and at the Russian level, basic infrastructure is represented only by sectoral schemes. There were no maps in the strategic documents of territorial development; we did not see the synergistic effect that the territory should receive.
Society always exists in the form of a territorial organization formed by a system of settlements, and how the state should treat it, what priorities should be identified, how to ensure transport connectivity of the territory, the quality of the living environment, how to prioritize budget support - these are all questions of the spatial development strategy as a tool existing in all leading countries of the world. It became clear that we also needed a document integrator.
"VE": Have you analyzed foreign experience?
About the concept of spatial development
It was introduced into the legal field in 2014; the government approved the requirements for its content in 2015. It must determine the priorities of the economy in the regional aspect, ensure the sustainability of the settlement system and additional points of access to foreign markets. We must “see” our neighbors, understand Russia’s place in the global distribution of economic activity. At the end of October, the Ministry of Economic Development will present a draft strategy for expert discussion; it is planned to be adopted in 2018. The last such document in our country was the General Settlement Scheme of the Russian Federation in 1994, but it was never fully implemented
E.Ch.: We studied strategic planning documents from a variety of countries. For example, the European Union is now preparing a second spatial development strategy. The economic space of Europe is concentrated in the “Pentagon” - a zone outlined within the boundaries of London - Paris - Milan - Munich - Hamburg. This is only a quarter of the area of the European Union, but 75% of its GDP is concentrated there, and this is certainly a problem from the point of view of spatial organization. Moreover, such concentration originated at the end of the 18th century, during the industrial revolution.
And so, in the context of a significant expansion of the European Union, they decided that they needed to rely on a polycentric model of organizing space, on “growing” other centers of gravity. The EU strategy involves the implementation of complex territorial projects: this is the “Baltic Region”, which, interestingly, includes St. Petersburg, the Leningrad region and Karelia, this is the “Atlantic Arc” (Western façade of the EU) along the Atlantic coast, as well as the “Latin Arch” in Western Mediterranean.
"VE": Will we have something similar?
E.Ch.: We cannot blindly copy someone’s experience, because Russia has the largest territory in the world. At the same time, the population is distributed extremely unevenly: there is a main settlement zone, focal settlement zones, and there are territories unsuitable for habitation.
Isolation of macro-regions
Their prototype was the federal districts. Each macro-region may have its own development model: in Siberia and the Far East - a cluster approach, in the European part - the development of large cities.
“VE”: And yet, what is closer to us?
E.Ch.: Our approach to spatial development is already based on the identification of large zones - macroregions. Their prototype was the federal districts. True, at the first stage they were allocated for management tasks, but then internal connections began to develop within the districts, and interregional associations were formed, such as the Siberian Agreement association.
For each macroregion, a specific model or options for combining them can be used. For example, the cluster approach, which Kazakhstan has already chosen, is suitable for the Far East and Siberia, when the state supports the “hotbeds” of the new industrial economy.
For the European part of the country, where strong growth points have already been formed, essentially competing with each other, a polarized approach can be applied. It is based on the support of large cities and their economic diffusion into surrounding areas.
It is necessary to identify territories that connect the vast space of Russia with large nodes.
THE PROBLEM OF MOSCOW AND ST. PETERSBURG IS GOING AWAY
These are urbanization processes that are happening all over the world. Now people are flocking not only to the capitals, but also to Krasnodar, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, etc. Any settlement system is very inert.
“VE”: How will all this be combined with existing support measures - for example, the Kaliningrad region, the Far East, the North Caucasus, Crimea?
E.Ch.: Support for strategically important territories is still necessary, but at the same time we must economically justify the growth of competitive activities for each subject, create conditions for them, and also highlight territories that unite the vast space of Russia with large nodes that affect the connectivity of the entire country.
We discussed with the regions the need to create interregional territorial systems, such as the “Ural Constellation” or “Siberian Conurbation”, which involve the construction of high-speed highways between major cities. Why shouldn’t such flagship projects be designated for priority support?
The general guarantee is to increase the connectivity of territories in the main settlement zone. In the zone of focal settlement, which includes almost the entire north-eastern part of Russia, it is necessary to return to the approach of forming support centers, which was developed in the Soviet Union on the basis of rotational and expeditionary forms of development of these complex territories. At the same time, significant changes are required in legislation, in particular in housing legislation, in order to incorporate these features into the legal framework.
“VE”: Can you illustrate these approaches using the example of the center of the country?
E.Ch.: We are just at the beginning of the journey. For now, for example, I can say that we support the position of the Moscow authorities that it is necessary to systematically ensure the development of Moscow as the capital and the only global city in Russia, but first this must be justified by calculations and cartography, and the real boundaries of the city must be determined.
“VE”: Many people say that our economy is fluxed - all resources are concentrated in Moscow and partly in St. Petersburg, and there is emptiness all around. Is this the problem you see?
E.Ch.: I don't think so anymore. These are urbanization processes that are happening all over the world. People flock not only to Moscow, but also to Krasnodar, Kazan, Yekaterinburg and other regional centers. It's natural. Of course, there are processes of natural compression of space, but any settlement system is very inert, and especially in Russia. We are tied to real estate; we do not have such active labor migration as, for example, in the United States, where people move from one city to another eight times during their lifetime. Our people move extremely rarely.
“VE”: Isn’t it necessary to change the territorial structure of settlement in Russia?
E.Ch.: The state should influence it only if it loses stability.
“VE”: Our “instability” - what is it?
E.Ch.: We have identified three global gaps that need to be combated through the tools of a spatial development strategy.
First, there is a gap in infrastructure. In recent years it has developed very unevenly. We have poor territorial connectivity. We have lost regional aviation, river transport, very few new roads have been built, we are just beginning to develop high-speed and high-speed transport, unlike many European and Asian countries.
Secondly, during the transition from a planned economy to a market economy, a technological gap occurred. By competing, enterprises have lost integration ties. Previously, they were established by the state. I don’t mean that we will force everyone to exchange commodity flows, we must facilitate this by supporting the modernization of enterprises, competitive industries, and the formation of territorial clusters.
The third problem is the social gap. Inequality is primarily expressed in the uneven provision of infrastructure and environmental quality in different cities. How to ensure a decent quality of life? Of course, we won’t be able to fix everything quickly, but we must understand how to identify areas that require targeted support.
“VE”: It turns out that the strategy will have great political significance - everyone will immediately begin to figure out who got what for decades to come. Or am I wrong?
E.Ch.: It is important to emphasize that the document is being prepared with the direct participation of representatives of the governments of all constituent entities of the Russian Federation, science and relevant federal ministries and departments. There is an interdepartmental working group under the Ministry of Economic Development, which consists of almost 150 people. There are no significant disputes on key issues yet.
"VE": Will the strategy last until 2035?
E.Ch.: According to the plan - yes, but we decided that the stability of the settlement system should have longer horizons, it is inertial, changes are not visible in a shorter period of time.
Therefore, for some components, the Spatial Development Strategy will have a horizon of 2040, and maybe even 2050. The new European strategy, which is currently being developed, also plays out scenarios up to the middle of the 21st century.
"VE": What could be the target scenario of the strategy?
E.Ch.: It largely depends on the base scenario of a long-term forecast of socio-economic development, which will show our capabilities.
Text: Igor Zubkov.
The article analyzes domestic and foreign methodologies and practices of strategic development planning in relation to the tasks and conditions that determine the sustainability of the socio-economic development of Russia and its regions at the beginning of the 21st century, determines the guidelines for the spatial development of the national socio-economic system, and poses the tasks necessary to solve in within the framework of the development of the Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation.
Federal Law No. 172-FZ "On Strategic Planning in the Russian Federation" introduces a document that occupies a central place in the system of state strategic planning - the Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation, which should be developed in accordance with the fundamentals of the state policy of regional development of the Russian Federation in order to implement the main provisions of the strategy socially -economic development of the Russian Federation and national security strategy of the Russian Federation. The Spatial Development Strategy should define the priorities, goals and objectives of the regional development of the Russian Federation and measures to achieve and solve them. The document will be the basis for the development and adjustment of territorial planning schemes of the Russian Federation, strategies for the socio-economic development of macroregions, state programs of the Russian Federation, strategies for the socio-economic development of constituent entities of the Russian Federation, other strategic planning documents and territorial planning documents provided for by the Urban Planning Code of the Russian Federation.
In the past, we already have a wealth of experience in developing this kind of documents, because both in terms of the approaches defined in the law and in goal setting, the Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation is similar to one of the most important documents for the long-term socio-economic development of the country (USSR) - the General Scheme for the placement and development of productive forces (hereinafter referred to as the General Scheme). The general scheme in those years was the basis for the deployment of productive forces in the country; it was on its basis that new regional planning projects were developed and existing ones were adjusted, diagrams of industrial zones, complexes and units were created, raw materials and fuel and energy bases were selected, which made it possible to eliminate disproportions in development industries and regions, effectively use raw materials, energy, industrial and human resources.
In terms of methodological and conceptual development of documents of this kind, there are no analogues in the world. Both the development of the General Scheme and the issues of distribution of productive forces are a unique experience not only in the USSR, but also in the world, which retains its significance to this day. It has been used to varying degrees in other countries. This experience takes on a special role in modern conditions.
Currently, in the United States of America (USA), the strategic documents being developed depend on the ongoing processes of globalization and on national security strategies being developed abroad; there are examples of long-term targeted regional development programs for individual territories. The basis of the ideology of the regional authorities is: a package of tasks for creating a business climate, supporting technological transformations, stimulating the acquisition of knowledge, advanced training, and the development of innovative activities.
The European Union (EU) in the theory and practice of spatial development is guided by the document “Fundamental principles of sustainable spatial development of the European continent”, which specifically notes: the principle of ensuring territorial development through a more balanced social and economic development of regions and increasing their competitiveness; encouraging development generated by urban functions and improving urban-rural relationships; creating equal conditions for transport accessibility, etc.
In Australia, the Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF) has been created for the development of infrastructure and economic growth of regions; regional development is carried out through the Agencies. In Brazil, there is also no unified strategy for regional (spatial) development; separate programs for the development of macroregions are being developed. In Canada, there is also no single strategic document for spatial development; the mechanism for the development of territories is a system of federal budget transfers, which, after receiving them, are independently used by provincial governments, as a rule, to finance infrastructure and social projects carried out on a tender basis.
An analysis of the international experience of large economically developed countries in terms of developing strategic planning documents shows that the greatest importance at the present stage is played by the possibility and readiness of individual territories for innovative development, generation and reproduction of innovations in all aspects of life. It is the innovative approach to the development of economic space that allows the developed countries of the world to follow the requirements of the time for technological innovation and develop the “knowledge economy.”
Features of the development of Russia, when determining the possibilities and limitations of spatial development, allow us to assert that the same parameter of the territory’s characteristics can be both a development factor and a mechanism limiting the realization of the potential capabilities of individual regions of the country. Of course, the development of a conceptual framework for spatial development should take these features into account. For example, a diverse and rich mineral resource base, which makes it possible to meet both domestic needs and realize the growing export capabilities of the country, on the one hand, and the uneven distribution of mineral resources, the concentration of potentially rich reserves in underdeveloped areas and remote from existing mining enterprises, on the other hand. . Extensive land resources and a variety of natural and climatic conditions, on the one hand, make it possible to implement various directions of development, and on the other hand, extreme climatic conditions in a significant part of the country are the most important limiting factor in their further development. The territory of the Russian North provides the production of more than 70% of oil and more than 90% of natural gas, 40% of commercial timber, the bulk of rare non-ferrous metals, a significant part of fish resources, performs an important environmental function, but at the same time, according to the assessment of natural conditions using the “temperature” index per capita” Russia is the coldest country in the world (-12.6°C; for comparison, in Canada the TND index is -3.6°C). The sparseness of the settlement system, a small number of large and medium-sized urban settlements, the problems of single-industry towns, and at the same time a significant number of single-industry municipalities that have a leading role in the economy of a number of regions. One of the most pressing problems and a factor limiting development is the insufficient level of development of transport infrastructure, but only increasing the efficiency of the transport sector by 10% would lead to an increase in the country’s GDP by 0.7%. In today's difficult geopolitical conditions, the need to develop import substitution in Russia, it is important to apply new mechanisms and management tools based on existing developments in the country, including space technologies.
According to world experts, about 2/3 of the world's innovations in the twentieth century, introduced into the economies of developed countries, were implemented on the basis of the achievements and ideas of Russian fundamental natural science. The further spatial development of all regions of the country and increasing the competitiveness of the economy as a whole depend on Russia’s readiness for innovative development in the 21st century.
When determining the fundamental parameters for the development of the Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation, it is also important to take into account that currently territorial planning in the country is viewed differently, both as socio-economic management, and as planning of specific territories with the allocation of functional zones to them, and as issues of implementation provisions of the Town Planning Code of the Russian Federation. To date, there is no consistency between government strategic planning documents and regional development strategies. The existing system of spatial development is determined by all factors of the territory’s development: the natural resource potential of the territory, demographic development trends, the level of infrastructure development, the level of receptivity to innovation, the general level of implementation of innovative forms of development in the regions, etc. Also, one of the main problems in the implementation of strategic planning is the absence in Russian legislation of norms on a unified comprehensive system of state planning for regional development, permeating the federal and regional levels, balancing issues of sectoral and regional development. Among the important problems of creating a unified comprehensive system of state strategic planning for regional development at the present stage, and developing a strategy for spatial development, in particular, one should include the weak elaboration of the methodology for forming an integral system of strategic planning for regional development and the lack of a unified conceptual apparatus.
Thus, it can be stated that the developers of a new document in the modern history of Russia - the Strategy for Spatial Development of the Russian Federation - face extremely difficult tasks in such matters as: patterns and principles of production location; issues of a wide range of indicators, balances, methods of their calculation; revealing methods for improving the geography of industries, the structure of location and inter-farm interactions of industrial enterprises on the territory of constituent entities of the Russian Federation, territorial and industrial sets, zones and territories of advanced development.
The Russian Spatial Development Strategy currently being developed will have to offer tools for the development of all regions of the country, launching new growth points, and leveling the socio-economic situation of the regions. Not the least place in the Strategy is given to agglomerations, including Novosibirsk - the largest in the country.
Sustainable, balanced socio-economic development of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation is one of the necessary conditions for the successful progressive development of the state as a whole and involves reducing excessive differences in the level of socio-economic development of regions, in the level and quality of life of citizens living in various constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
The principles, goals, priority tasks, mechanisms and expected results of the implementation of the state policy of regional development of the country are defined in Fundamentals of state policy for regional development of the Russian Federation for the period until 2025, approved by decree of the President of Russia.
Also, in accordance with the federal law of June 28, 2014 No. 172-FZ “On strategic planning in the Russian Federation,” the priorities, goals and objectives of the country’s regional development and measures to achieve and solve them must be defined in the Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation.
The draft Spatial Development Strategy being developed by the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, after approval, will become the most important element of the state strategic planning system of Russia.
The projected Spatial Development Strategy will contain, in particular, a list and an enlarged scheme for the placement of federal infrastructure facilities to be created (modernized) that are subject to creation (modernization), which are subject to inclusion in the territorial planning schemes of the Russian Federation, state programs, investment programs of federal infrastructure companies, mandatory for execution by government authorities of all levels, as well as lists of promising economic specializations in the context of constituent entities of the Federation, mandatory for the formation of the composition of priority expenditure obligations of government bodies of constituent entities of the Russian Federation and local governments subject to sectoral financial support from the federal budget.
The spatial development strategy and the documents that will be developed on its basis must ensure the achievement of the national development goals of the Russian Federation and the solution of strategic tasks, including those indicated in the list of instructions of the President of the Russian Federation on the implementation of the message of the President of the Russian Federation to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation of March 1, 2018.
The economic and social components of Russia's spatial development strategy until 2030 should be of equal importance for the state and society, believes Chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko.
“First of all, the question is about the priorities of the Strategy. Judging by the speeches of its developers, the emphasis is on investment, industry and infrastructure aspects of spatial planning. The primary importance of these topics is beyond doubt. But the social aspects of spatial development are no less important. After all, the space of Russia is not only the location of productive forces, but also the territory of the social, cultural, and spiritual life of people,” the speaker wrote in her article for the Izvestia newspaper. According to her, the comfort and well-being of citizens is the absolute priority of the state. “It would seem that these are elementary truths. However, in practice, when resolving issues related to the placement of new production facilities by investors, as a rule, the private interests of companies and the industry preferences of federal ministries and departments take precedence,” added Valentina Matvienko.
At the same time, the interests of the regions - creating new jobs, filling budget revenues, and thereby improving the quality of life of people - are often in the background.
The Speaker of the Federation Council believes that the document should offer mechanisms for coordinating production, investment, and infrastructure programs implemented by various levels of government. But the goals of managing the country’s spatial development are not limited to economic efficiency. The strategy must contain tools that will ensure that the interests of the regions are taken into account and implemented in the field of healthcare, education, culture, living standards of the population, landscaping, road construction, etc. Because life shows: automatically in itself the optimal balance of economic and social components of spatial development does not arise. This can only be ensured by the regulatory activities of government bodies at all levels.
The economic and social components of Russia’s spatial development strategy until 2030 should be of equal importance for the state and society.
“In a word, the Spatial Development Strategy is a document whose economic and social components should be equal in importance for the state and society. It should be aimed at ensuring decent living conditions for citizens throughout the country, no matter where a person lives. I want to emphasize that in resolving these issues it is important not to step on the same rake again. I mean, don’t get carried away by command-and-administrative planning and management measures. The strategy should be based on the principles and mechanisms of a market economy,” noted Valentina Matvienko.
Thus, the Spatial Development Strategy of Russia until 2025, which is currently being prepared, will be designed to equalize the imbalance between different regions, primarily in terms of living standards.
Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko noted that this is a fundamentally new document that has not previously been created in the management practice of our country. At the same time, it is important to provide opportunities for development not only to agglomerations. The objectives of the strategy will also be to create new regional growth points and stimulate competition between entities.
“If you develop the country, then develop it all,” the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized. According to Vitaly Mutko, the document will describe economic specializations for each subject of the Russian Federation and the types of different territories. For example, agglomerations, geostrategic territories, small and medium-sized cities, rural settlements, as well as promising regional centers. In addition, the Strategy will include a comprehensive plan for the modernization and expansion of the main infrastructure to remove infrastructure restrictions, as well as mechanisms to support growth points through tax breaks of the so-called unified territorial development instrument.
The main role in the development of the Strategy for the long-term development of territories belongs to the regions, with which the Ministry of Economic Development is now working on their comments and proposals sent to the department before April 2018.
Most regional projects are related to infrastructure: the construction of air transport hubs, high-speed railways and highways, the creation of priority development areas and special economic zones. There are also environmental projects.
Among the initiatives are the construction of an airport in Magnitogorsk, a high-speed railway line between Samara and Togliatti, and coastal reclamation in the Kaliningrad region. The government of the Kaliningrad region proposed projects related to the transport infrastructure of the New Silk Road, strengthening bank protection and coastal reclamation, as well as land reclamation. The total amount is estimated at almost 150 billion rubles.
Issues of development of the Novosibirsk agglomeration as the largest in the country will also be fully reflected in the upcoming final version of the Spatial Development Strategy of Russia.
“Novosibirsk is not only one of the largest agglomerations in the country, and whatever the final version of the Spatial Development Strategy, it is clear that the issues of development of this agglomeration will be fully reflected there. All requests and initiatives that are now actively promoted by the team of the acting governor of the Novosibirsk region Andrey Travnikov, will definitely be reflected there,” said Russian Deputy Prime Minister Maxim Akimov.
The Deputy Prime Minister noted that this is a question of development not only of the region and the Novosibirsk agglomeration, but a question of the development of Siberia, the Far East and the entire large eastern region of the country. According to him, the role of Novosibirsk is that of the largest industrial and logistics innovation hub, which literally and figuratively feeds a large number of territories.
It is expected that the Strategy will set guidelines for the development and adjustment of territorial planning schemes, sectoral strategic planning documents, strategies for the socio-economic development of macroregions and constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The document will contain an implementation plan.
The spatial strategy will soon become public and will be available for wider discussion. Work on the document is planned to be completed in August and adopted by the end of 2018.
The spatial development strategy of the Russian Federation, necessary for the socio-economic development of macro-regions and constituent entities of the country, can be adopted before the end of 2018, the press service of the Russian Security Council reported.